Automatic telephone switch



(No Model.)

A. G. WHEAT. AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE SWITGEL.

No. 513,9 0. Patented Jan. so, 1894,.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTUS C. WHEAT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM HUBBARD, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC TE LEPHONE-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 513,960, dated January 30, 1894.

Application filed J' 11116 5,1893. $erial No. 476.567- (No model.)

T0 00% whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS O. WHEAT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Telephone- Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in telephone switches, and especiallyto that class of such devices, in which the operation of switching or changing the current of electricity is automatically performed; and it consists in certain peculiarities of the construction, novel arrangement and operation of the various parts thereof, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

The object of this invention is to afford a simple and inexpensive device, which will be applicable to telephones of the ordinary kind, and by means of which the current of electricity may be switched or changed automatically, by the hangingup or removal of the receiver.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention pertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe it, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1, is a view in front elevation of a portion of the telephone box with the door thereof open, showing the receiver hung up, and the parts in their normal positions. Fig. 2, is a plan view of my device detached from the telephone, and Fig. 3, is a plan sectional View of a portion of the inner part thereof.

Like letters of reference refer to corresponding parts throughout the different views of the drawings.

The case or box A, receiver or telephone B, transmitter or microphone, call-bell, generator, and battery are of the ordinary or preferred kind, and for this reason will not here be described in detail.

To the case A, is pivotally secured or fulcrumed the switch-lever C, which is of any suitable size, form, and material, but is preferably formed or provided at its outer end with a bifurcation or fork' 0, between the prongs of which the receiver B, may rest when not in use. The inner end or portion of the switch-lever O, is formed or provided with a number of receptacles D, and D, (usually two,) and preferably of non-electric-conducting-material,within which receptacles or compartments is placed and confined a quantity of mercury E, or other good electric conducting material, fluid, or substance, which partially fills the same and is adapted to move therein.

As shown in the drawings the receptacles or compartments D, and D, are in the form of tubes, and are secured to the lever C, by means of a band (1, and are provided at each of their ends with stoppers (1, extending through which, are the terminals 01 for the various wires of the telephone.

While the foregoing is my preferred construction, yet I do not desire to be limited thereto, as I may employ other forms for the receptacles and attain the same results.

By reference to Fig.1, of the drawings, it will be seen that the fulcrum or pivot point f, of the lever C, is so placed that the inner portion of said lever will be the heavier, and when the receiver B, is disengaged from its outer end will assume the position indicated by dotted lines, when the mercury or conducting substance E, contained in the receptacles D, and D, will flow to the lower ends thereof, and will thus break or open the circuit through the lines L, and G, and close or complete the circuits through the wires B, B, and T, L. By hanging the receiver on the outer end of the lever O, as shown in Fig. 1, the weight thereof will over-balance the weight of the other end of the lever, and will thereby cause the mercury or electric-conducting material within the receptacles D, and D, to flow to the now lower end, and will close or complete the circuit over the wires L, and G, and open or break the same over the wires B, B, and T, L, as will be readily understood.

- While I have shown two receptacles for the mercury or conducting fluid orsubstance, yet under certain circumstances I may employ one or more of said receptacles, as the case may reqnire.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an automatic telephone switch the combination with the telephone, of the pivoted lever 0, having the compartments or re ceptacles D, D, the insulated end pieces at, the terminals (1 the electricity-conducting Substance E, placed and confined within said compartments and adapted to be shifted therein, substantially as described.

2. In an automatic telephone switch, the combination with the telephone of the pivoted lever 0, having a number of compartments or receptacles provided with the insulated end pieces (1', having the terminals (1 the electricity-conducting substance placed and confined within said compartments and adapted to be shifted therein, substantially as described.

3. In an automatic telephone switch the combination with the telephone of the pivoted lever 0, having the two compartments or receptacles D, D, the insulated end-pieces or ed to be shifted therein, substantially as de- 30 scribed.

AUGUSTUS C. WHEAT.

Witnesses:

CHAS. C. TILLMAN, E. A. DUGGAN. 

